Family Night Fun

Well, we've finally gone and done it. We have managed to get a regular routine of having family night once a week on a regular basis. In our faith, it's encouraged to have "Family Home Evening" every Monday (or whenever you can fit it if Mondays just don't work). We've tried it on and off in the past and never gotten it to take off, but now it's really working.

Who knew an hour a week of real quality family time could be so exhausting and fun all at the same time!?!? I took cues from my friend, Tracey, and created a "Family Home Evening" book. We use it to guide us each week. One person gets to conduct our "meeting" by welcoming everyone, choosing someone to do a prayer, someone to read a scripture, someone to lead a song of their choice, someone to make a snack, someone to tell us what acts of kindness they've seen in our house over the week, and someone to do an activity (that may or may not have some sort of lesson hidden in it). We also use the book to write down all the important events that have happened over the week.

So far, the book has documented a science fair (Aiden got fifth place in the fifth grade out of 36 entries and CJ got 3 place in first grade out of not very many entries!), school plays, pinewood derby entries, Byron marking his ten year anniversary with his company, Liam having his tonsils out, and a whole variety of other silliness that was somehow important to the children or us.

Activities we've done so far have included making our own Valentine bags and then putting a note a day in each person's box for a week, making a care package for two missionaries, learning about money using pony beads as currency, and we spent one week brainstorming what we could do to help the family of a dear friend who had become critically ill. (She had a miraculous recovery, by the way, and is back home with her family now.)

I'm hoping to start adding pictures and details on a regular basis just from the silly things we do on Family Night. No matter what, there's no going back now. All the kids are addicted to their Monday night time with Mom and Dad and I'm pretty sure there would be some sort of ugly mutiny if we opted not to do it anymore. That said, I wouldn't want to give it up. I think there will be some amazing memories and laughter that comes from our weekly family night fun.